Forbes released its 2010 list of the 400 richest people in America this week, and Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates was in the top spot for the 17th consecutive year.

Industrialist Warren Buffett, Chief Executive Officer of Berkshire Hathaway Inc, has bagged the second place this year with fortunes worth $45 billion.

While worth $27 billion dollars, software company Oracle’s co-founder and CEO Larry Ellison is the third richest American.

With a net worth that grew by nearly $4.9 billion, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg had the largest percentage gain this year, jumping from 158 to number 35 with $6.9 billion.

Zuckerberg is richer than Apple’s boss Steve Jobs and media mogul Oprah Winfrey.

Jobs comes 42nd on the list with a net worth of $6.1 billion while Winfrey is on the 130th position with total valuation of $2.7 billion.

The Forbes 400 are worth a combined $1.37 trillion, compared with $1.27 trillion last year.

Sources: Pcmag – Indiatimes

The 10 Richest People in America

1 – Bill Gates
$54 billion | MIcrosoft | Medina, Wash.

2 – Warren Buffett
$45 billion | Berkshire Hathaway | Omaha, Neb.

3 – Larry Ellison
$27 billion | Oracle | Woodside, Calif.

4 – Christy Walton
$24 billion | Wal-Mart | Jackson, Wyo.

5 – Charles Koch
$21.5 billion | Manufacturing, Energy | Wichita, Kansas

5 – David Koch
$21.5 billion | Manufacturing, Energy | New York, N.Y.

7 – Jim Walton
$20.1 billion | Wal-Mart | Bentonville, Ark.

8 – Alice Walton
$20 billion | Wal-Mart | Fort Worth, Texas

9 – Robson Walton
$20 billion | Wal-Mart | Bentonville, Ark.

10 – Michael Bloomberg
$18 billion | Bloomberg LP | New York, N.Y.

The full Forbes 400 list can be seen at www.forbes.com/Forbes400